Don't Play Favourites
by Gitana del Sol
Summary: Professor McGonagall has a request to ask from Headmaster Dumbledore, and she's not quite sure how he'll take to it.


**This originally was a chapter in my WIP, _A Court of Three Sisters_, but I felt that it did not really go with the style and PoV's I have that work written in. This is a head canon I nursed for a long time before putting it down into words. My AU work _Constant Vigilance_ can be read as an alternative ending had Dumbledore acted on Minerva's suggestion.**

**Enjoy!**

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Minerva McGonagall rapped her knuckles against the large oak doors. Upon hearing a calm male voice invite her inside, she turned the brass knob and walked into the office of the Headmaster.

Headmaster Dumbledore was seated at his desk, the end of his white beard hidden behind it so that it appeared endless. He peered at her with dazzling blue eyes from behind semi-circle spectacles, elbows propped up on the desktop, fingertips touching fingertips. He gave her a warm but strained smile. Waiting patiently in the office were three other teachers that McGonagall recognized immediately: Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw and professor of Charms, with his beard and hair just as white as Dumbledore's, so short that, seated in the chair, his feet stuck out; Pomona Sprout, a kind-face woman about McGonagall's age, who had replaced Professor Kettleburn as both Head of Hufflepuff and professor of Herbology; and Horace Slughorn, with graying hair and a protruding belly, who genuinely enjoyed his position as professor of Potions and Head of Slytherin. All three wore grave expressions.

"Ah, Professor McGonagall, you've made it. We were beginning to think you had forgotten about our scheduled meeting." His blue eyes twinkled and, though she knew he was amused and not angry, she flushed.

"I'm sorry Dumbledore, but I had not forgotten. I was deviated by a small matter involving two pupils from my House."

"Who was it?" Filius squeaked from his chair, straining to see her around Pomona. Minerva pursed her lips.

"Black and Potter," she replied with displeasure.

"What have they done this time?" Pomona asked with a deep sigh.

"They decided that it would be jolly fun to lock Sirius's cousin, Miss Narcissa Black," she inclined her head with an apologetic expression at Slughorn "in the lavatory on the second floor. When I arrived, she was attempting to escape through a window and Myrtle was terrorizing her and shrieking like a banshee. Miss Black was drenched and quite shaken up and Myrtle was in hysterics; Potter and Black, of course, were nearly dying from laughter." McGonagall frowned, remembering how the red rubies from the Gryffindor hour glass sprang up, lowering the amount of Gryffindor rubies below all the other Houses, after she took away fifty points for each of them – and they had just returned from Christmas Break not two weeks ago!

"What did you do with Black and Potter?" Pomona asked.

"I handed them off to Filch," she replied darkly. "One hundred points from Gryffindor and detention twice a week for three weeks. School has barely resumed and already their schedules are being backed up with detentions! As it was, I couldn't schedule detention for Thursdays or Mondays because they already had detentions on those days." She huffed with returned irritation and impatience.

"I'm afraid that was my fault, Minerva," Horace explained. "They blew up, not only their own cauldrons, but those of Mary McDonald and Jill Hill. Had to send both girls to the hospital wing! Please don't take offense at what I am going to say next, Minerva. I very much would have liked to have all the Blacks in my House, including young Sirius Black. But then I see how strained you are trying to discipline his behavior, and I must say, I do not envy you at all. Sometimes I am almost glad he _was_ placed in Gryffindor." He shook his head. "They are more troublesome in one week than a month's worth of feud between Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black."

"That's because Bellatrix doesn't get caught," Minerva snapped. "That girl's got the intelligence to get past all her classes and scheme against other students, and the wit to get it done without leaving behind a trail of evidence." Horace shifted uncomfortably, as he always did when discussing Bellatrix Black. McGonagall didn't know why he was constantly uneasy when discussing Bellatrix Black, but if he was so eager to have the family of Black in his House, then she would have gladly exchanged the young Sirius Black for the eldest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black.

"The students always go through a period of bad behavior. It's part of growing up and maturing," Flitwick piped up. "Black and Potter, though perhaps more talented at it than most, will grow out of it eventually. But I doubt that Professor Dumbledore called us in to chat about the students." He glanced at the Headmaster, who was smiling at hearing the troubling attitudes of the children.

"No, I did not call you to discuss the rivalries of the students. Though I must say, I genuinely enjoy listening to these anecdotes, however tiresome they may be. I truly do think that there is nothing better than being a teacher. Sometimes I ponder whether I should resign as Headmaster and go back to teaching in the classroom." He gave a misty smile as he gazed off, immersed in memories of days when he taught as a professor; the teachers exchanged glances.

"But that will have to wait," Dumbledore announced, snapping out of his daze. "Time grows short and there are matters of great importance that we must discuss. Please sit down." He waved his wand in the air, drawing up two chairs for Slughorn and McGonagall, who settled down comfortably and wondered what disturbing news had the Headmaster unsettled.

"As you all must know, Lord Voldemort is quickly gaining power." McGonagall felt a shiver creep up her spine at the name and saw that she was not the only one who appeared unsettled by the mention of his name. "Word of his ideas and values has reached many wizards and witches. Several were inclined to his ideas from the start, namely high society families with a long lineage of wizards and witches. The increasing disappearances have convinced many others that denying him is fruitless. Others still are drawn in by greed, for he is extremely influential," here Slughorn gave an uncomfortable cough, but Dumbledore ignored him, "and has given many supporters higher positions in the workforce. There is evidence that several of the quickly-promoted individuals in the Ministry are strong supporters of his cause for this reason. Whatever the case, it has come to my notice that Lord Voldemort is gaining supporters, and not just witches and wizards."

"Not just witches and wizards?" Pomona asked, puzzled.

"There is evidence that has recently been brought to my awareness that Voldemort is attempting to ally himself with the giants. And he is gifted enough in the Dark Arts to raise himself a large amount of Inferi."

Pomona gasped.

"Knowing his recent activity," Dumbledore continued gravely, "it comes as no surprise that several bodies have been discovered – dead. Some are too mangled and destroyed to be identified. But some have been identified to be wizards or witches who have gone missing. There has been an increase in mortality in the Muggle world. Curious tragedies, with almost all having no cause of death that the Muggle police can conclude, but several in the Law Enforcement Department at the Ministry, and myself, know that these mysterious deaths are the result of wizard curses. Wizards are murdering Muggles in their homes, unprovoked, for the sheer dislike of them.

"It won't be long until this recent activity turns against the magical children of Muggle parents and children with Muggle grandparents. Therefore, it will be your jobs, as Head of House, to increase security and enforce the prohibition of magic in the hallways. I want you to enforce a curfew; at ten o'clock, students are to be in their common rooms, and I want each student accounted for nightly. No one is to leave Hogwarts without a chaperone. I will not cancel weekend trips to Hogsmeade, but I will be adding extra security and supervision now that Lord Voldemort is becoming stronger. And I want it to be clearly known to every student in this school," he leaned forward, and his eyes flashed a dangerous electric blue, "that I do not care what their background is, and I do not care under what morale and values they have been brought up under. I will _not_ tolerate the harassment or discrimination of a classmate because of blood, upbringing, or House. Even the slightest violation of this rule will result in detention with the Headmaster. The safety and well-being of the students at this school is our first priority."

The Head of Houses murmured their understanding, shocked at the news and quieted by the seriousness of the meeting. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.

"Very well, I know that you want to get on with your day. You are free to go, and enjoy your afternoon." He gave them a strained smile. All four teachers got to their feet, shuffling out of the office. Only McGonagall remained behind, waiting for the others Heads of House to leave. Dumbledore gazed at her, blue eyes piercing, though did not address her until the oak doors had been shut.

"Professor?"

McGonagall hesitated, wondering whether or not she should bring up the matter. But she shook away her doubt and firmly decided to ask, knowing that if she prolonged it any further she would feel irritated with herself all week.

"Professor Dumbledore, now that murders are occurring, is the Order going to meet more frequently?"

"Yes, Professor, I dare say they will. And I was hoping to expand it with witches and wizards we can trust." He peered at her knowingly, and she wondered if he had been thinking along the same lines. "Who exactly do you have in mind?"

"Bellatrix Black." The name slipped from her lips, and her heart thrummed hopefully. "Dumbledore, I know she has only just come of age and that you wouldn't like inducting students into such a dangerous organization – I don't like it myself – but she would be just wonderful and-" She stopped when the old man raised a palm to silence her.

"Bellatrix Black is, as I understand it, very gifted in magic. But I have gotten such mixed reviews about her. Horace doesn't like her, and, as her Head of House, he knows her best. I can't help but wonder: what is it about Miss Black that you have taken such a liking to?"

McGonagall thought of the confident Slytherin girl with the wild black curls and black eyes that held so much intelligence and fire. How could she explain to Dumbledore in words, taking up only minutes of his time, in what had taken six and a half years to shape such wonder and talent that was Miss Bellatrix Black?

"She's intelligent. Not just smart," she refuted quickly, seeing Dumbledore's look. "But naturally intelligent. There are not that many students who truly grasp Transfiguration, and Bellatrix approaches it with such ease. She masters in one class period what would take the rest of the class a week. That girl has raw natural talent; she's filled with magic and it comes so easily to her. I've seen several of her scores from other classes, she gets nearly perfect marks on just about all assignments. And she was the same that first day she came into my class. She's just brilliant, Dumbledore, in my sixteen years of teaching I have never had a student like her. Samuel Otila is perhaps the only other student who can compare to her marks. He aces just about every assignment, and achieves all the tasks set before him in each class. But he struggles to earn those marks. He stays up and studies, and I can see that he is trying; you can just tell that he has to work really hard to get up to where he is. Bellatrix just floats through it; I don't think that girl has broken out in sweat for any of these spells in her six years here.

"And she enjoys learning! Dumbledore, that girl pays attention to you because she _wants_ to learn, not because she has to. It is such a pleasure teaching her because she has such an open mind to all knowledge. She has incredible control over the magic within her." McGonagall could feel her heart beating in her chest as she tried to decipher Dumbledore's expression. His blue eyes never left her face, and it was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. Had she been foolish to express these ideas to him? She waited in anticipation for him to speak.

"Her advancement in magic could just be her parents' lenience to enforce the prohibition of underage magic at home. I am quite sure that Cygnus Black encourages his children to practice magic at home. Miss Bellatrix Black's incredible work with magic could just be her increased practice and time with the wand," he told her gently. But McGonagall shook her head.

"If that were the case then her sisters would have been just as gifted. They are not. Oh, Andromeda and Narcissa Black are not stupid children," she reassured him quickly. "But they have none of their sister's talent."

"Teachers are not supposed to have favorites, Professor," he told her with an amused smile.

"I know," McGonagall said sheepishly. "I tried to tell myself that six years ago. But she is so special, with so much natural talent; you can't _learn_ what Bellatrix does, it has to be in you. But it isn't just her ability; she's also got a good personality. She's got a sense of humor, and she's mature and confident. She's relentless in all that she does. I'll admit, she's got sass and an attitude; Merlin knows that girl is stubborn and hard-headed. But, Professor, she's never spoken out of turn to me, even when we have opposing views. I have found that as long as you treat her as an equal, she will hold the highest respect."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, pondering her words.

"That's quite heavy praise, coming from you – especially seeing that she's in Slytherin. I was under the impression that you didn't get along well with the Slytherin students?"

"I don't particularly respect Slytherin students because I can't understand their cowardice. They string together a web of lies so as to get themselves out of trouble. I have witnessed several blame a classmate, so that another has to pay the consequence rather than themselves," McGonagall answered darkly. "Bellatrix isn't a Slytherin for cowardice, Dumbledore. In that respect, she is as much a Gryffindor as you and I. She has taken the blame, and the detentions, for Andromeda and Narcissa on several occasions. I have taught her for six years; she would give her life for her sisters. No, Bellatrix is a Slytherin because of her unwavering determination and her cunning ability to weasel herself and her close friends out of trouble."

"She has an interest in the Dark Arts," Dumbledore warned seriously. McGonagall clicked her tongue irritably at this news. Whoever had given him this tidbit of information had given it without looking at the big picture.

"That is because she likes to be challenged and, at the present, Dark magic is the only magic that forces her to work hard. Dumbledore, if she were to join the Order, I know she'd be magnificent. She's powerful – not just magically but emotionally too! If we could train her how to use her talent for good, undo any damage her parents have done…Dumbledore, she is exactly what we need! Even if she doesn't formally join the Order, she would be a wonderful ally!"

"Such a powerful witch can easily be a dangerous foe," he commented gravely. McGonagall stared at him, dejected. "And we could never have a secure hold over her loyalties; such raw power and emotions can easily be offset and be used against our cause."

McGonagall felt her hope and excitement shrivel up. Was he really turning Bellatrix Black down? Was this his final answer, without even giving the girl a chance?

"Don't fret, Minerva," he told her gently, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "I will think about what you have told me, and keep an eye on Miss Bellatrix Black. But don't approach her about this subject just quite yet."

It took a moment for her to register what he meant, but then she nodded, feeling better now that Bellatrix would get the chance that she deserved. She thanked the Headmaster, bid him a good day, and then left the office, closing the majestic oak doors as she exited.

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**Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated. :]**


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